Rhetoric & Composition
Areas of Study
Offered through the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies, the minor consists of six courses and a portfolio, accompanied by a final reflection. You can personalize your path by selecting courses from across the College, allowing you to specialize in one of two emphases:
- Rhetoric: focuses on the persuasive power of language, making it ideal for careers in activism, law, public policy and more. Courses explore classical rhetoric, political and legal theory and social movements.
- Composition: emphasizes the teaching and practice of writing, preparing students for careers in education, communications, journalism, social work and chaplaincy. Students might take courses in composition theory, writing pedagogy and digital art.
Requirements
ENGL 110: Introduction to Academic Writing
ENGL 210: Intermediate Academic Writing
CISS 237: Eloquentia Perfecta: Writing and Speaking for the Common Good
ENGL 381: Rhetoric
ENGL 387: Composition Theory & Pedagogy
ENGL 391, 392, or 399: Topics in Rhetoric & Composition (e.g. Queer Rhetoric, Digital writing, Rhetoric of the Image, Rhetoric of Science, etc.)
CISS 238: Writing about Data and Policy
CISS 239: Digital Literacy
CRES 310: Abolition Rhetoric
CRES 311: Native American Rhetoric
ANTH 266: Cultures and Politics of Latin America
CHIN 261: Tongues in Transit: Language, Migration, and Ageing
CISS 201: Legal Reasoning and Rhetoric
CISS 207: Mediation Theory and Practice
CISS 238: Writing about Data and Policy
CISS 239: Digital Literacy
CLAS 199: Ritual in Mesopotamia
CLAS 225: Power, Persuasion, & Law
CRES 299-F02: Racial Justice, Media Literacy, and Digital Writing in the United States
CRES 399-S01: Histories of Race and Education in the US
EDUC 234: Adolescent Literacy
EDUC 245: Dis/Ability Theory & Practice
EDUC 360: Research in Education
HIST 223: Radicalism in America
HIST 225: The Civil Rights Movement
HIST 263: Work, Culture, & Power in U.S. History
HIST 276: Historically Speaking
HIST 229: Great Revolutions of Latin America
POLS 206: Public Policy
POLS 211: The Policymaking Process
POLS 216: Democratization and Women's Rights
POLS 299: Race and Gender in Politics
PHIL 225: Ancient Philosophy
PSYC 236: Cognition and Memory
RELS 103: Race and Religion
RELS 126: Hebrew Bible
SOCL 399: Social Movements
SPAN 301: Spanish Composition & Conversation
VAST 105: Digital Art Studio I
Visual Studio Arts 205: New Media
*Additional electives may be approved on a case-by-case basis. You are free to propose courses that may not be immediately identifiable as relating to this minor. These courses should focus on the history, theory, or practice of rhetoric and/or composition. For a specific course to count toward the minor, it should have approximately 30 percent of the course dedicated to these concerns and offer opportunities for low and high stakes writing with at least one multi draft project. A complete list of Approved Electives can be found on our Ignite page.
As you complete the minor, you will be required to assemble an electronic portfolio of your work. These portfolios should be created as a Google Drive folder that is shared with the advisor during your senior year. You are also welcome to host your own portfolio on a personal website. You can add any type of work created within the minor (papers, videos of speeches, digital projects, etc.), which you will curate with a reflection that explains the rationale for the collection and the overall goals realized by this minor.
A Rhetoric & Composition minor may overlap a maximum of 2 courses from all other plan(s) of study (e.g., your major) or 3 courses from two other plans of study (e.g, your major and a different minor). No single course may count for three plans of study.
Meet Your Program Director
Opportunities
Study Abroad & Away
Semester away program in New York or Washington, D.C. could count towards the minor and offer hands-on learning experience.
Clubs & Organizations
Join a student club or organization, including the Spire, the official Holy Cross newspaper that publishes dynamic articles that represent the student voice on Mount Saint James.
Declaring Your Minor
To begin the process of designing your own major or minor, you must first meet with the Director of the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies to discuss your plans. If there is a key professor or designated advisor who is helping you with the student-designed minor/major you are proposing, you may also start your inquiry and planning with that professor.
After discussing your plans with the director and key faculty member(s), you may begin work on the CIS Major Application form or the CIS Minor application form. Fall applications are due the first Friday in October. Spring applications are due the second Friday in February.
Application Requirements:
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Proposed Minor Curriculum: A student-designed multidisciplinary minor must include six courses from at least three departments. List the six Holy Cross courses that will comprise your ideal Holy Cross minor curriculum. Remember that no more than 2 courses can overlap with your other plans of study.
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Student Application
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Resume
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Unofficial Transcript
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Faculty Recommendation: Applicants should discuss their intended faculty member and any information their recommender needs to know with their minor advisor prior to submitting the application. This recommendation should differ from a general letter of support. Faculty should address the applicant’s alignment with the program’s goals, their ability to engage meaningfully with coursework and how the proposed minor complements the applicant’s overall academic plan and career aspirations.
